Communicators are most effective in a safe environment

Communicators are most effective in a safe environment

Communicators:  We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups. (Taken from IB learner profile)

At Futuro Verde there certainly are a lot of ways to communicate! With eight different languages at home and three languages of instruction at school, 65% of our students are bilingual or multilingual; staff reflect the same diversity, with approximately half being bilingual. It’s a learning environment with people of all ages and from different backgrounds at their own stage of language development – sharing similar challenges, frustrations and personal victories. Remember! If someone is having a tough time communicating, it doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot to share – it’s just locked away for now. Certainly, do not assume that difficulty in communicating comes from a lack of intelligence!

We’re accustomed to a ‘good’ communicator expressing themselves through speaking and writing. However, spend even a short amount of time at Futuro Verde and you will see that our students use a multitude of ways to communicate. Just as they all learn in different ways, some might feel more comfortable communicating in other ways too. Sometimes you feel you understand most about someone when they are competing, performing, playing their instrument or painting.

Being a good communicator depends on feeling safe to be able to express oneself without fear of criticism or recrimination. Weekly peace practice provides such an environment. Students feel comfortable to share a joke of the day, or something more personal, because they know they are surrounded by other good communicators. Their peers understand that effective communication involves listening respectfully even if they don’t agree.    

 

An active student body, competitive on a National level!

An active student body, competitive on a National level!

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Student life is a central pillar in Futuro Verde and our athletic department benefits all!  All Futuro Verde students receive weekly physical education and swim classes in which students learn to swim and develop their physical abilities.  Not to mention, physical education and swim classes are some of the favorite classes of our Futuro Verde student body.  Having a bilingual Athletic Department chair and physical education teacher with a degree in Physical Education and Sports Science and a Masters in Teaching has made a positive impact on our programming!

But, do you know how many students participate in the Student Sports Competitions? Thanks to the support of the Futuro Verde board of directors and administrative team, this year 59% of our student body participated in some level of the programming that Futuro Verde offers- be it in Table Tennis, Basketball, Track and Field, Cross Country or Swim.  We congratulate our participating students at all levels of competition and we remind you all to please continue to support our students who are still training for future rounds of competition in Basketball and Track and Field.  Go Futuro Verde!

We got the 5 stars!

We got the 5 stars!

 

Futuro Verde is one of the few educational institutions in the region awarded with the Ecological Blue Flag 5 of 5 stars.

With this program, Futuro Verde is certified as a school committed to the environment and the community, developing projects that promote the proper use of natural resources and promoting sustainability as demonstrated in various projects and work done over the years, including:

  • Community recycling program
  • Beach and street clean-ups
  • Training of teachers, staff and student population
  • Water conservation projects
  • Debate and workshops on climate change and local and global environmental problems
  • Collaboration with associations like ASVO, ASOPROLAPA, Corredor Biológico Peninsular.

The world is big and there is still much to be done. In the near future we will continue with our Reforestation Project on Centro Educativo Futuro Verde’s new land and include further garden development.

Also, we will be working on sustainable homes and carbon neutrality. Our head of Environmental Education, Noelia Venegas, and students will be studying and developing strategies to ensure the sustainability of our homes. All ideas and contributions are welcome, every bit counts!

Capital Campaign Centro Educativo Futuro Verde

Capital Campaign Centro Educativo Futuro Verde

Do you know the impact donations to our Capital Campaign will bring?

Direct impact on Futuro Verde students and staff:

  • Purpose built and spacious learning spaces
  • An enclosed cafeteria and auditorium
  • A spacious multi-media center/library
  • A science lab
  • Inspirational design to support effective student learning
  • Recreational and sports facilities

Impact on the local and global community:

  • Use of recycled materials in the infrastructure of the school benefits local producers and the environment.
  • Facilities focused on green sustainable energy efficiency.
  • Low environmental impact construction.
  • Infrastructure available for the community at large for cultural and recreational enrichment activities.
  • To open opportunities for universities to provide career training to the community.
  • Offer language classes and TOEFL certificate.
  • Expanding our positive impact on local economy – a healthy, strong school = a healthy community!
How are we building a new FV campus?

How are we building a new FV campus?

 

Our Partner Construction Company, Consortium Costa Rica Natural, is a company dedicated to the development of construction and environmental projects. They believe in sustainable development and conservation in Costa Rica, working on a local and an international level; they develop products focused on industry, construction, tourism and the environment.

Areas of Expertise:

  1. Ingeniera, Desarrollo de Proyectos
  2. Arquitica
  3. Ambito, LEED, EDGE Certifications

Green buildings are no longer just a trend; energy efficiency is becoming the new norm. Costa Rica Natural provides sound guidance to assure the maximum duration of its project materials and buildings. Costa Rica Natural also uses first quality recycled materials from local industries.

Futuro Verde’s master plan reveal is coming soon!  Stay tuned for the opportunity to see the plans for yourself!

Assessment. Test. Exam.

Assessment. Test. Exam.

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Assessment. Test. Exam. – Many times these words cause us to feel a little anxious, they can turn our stomachs in worry and they can bring back negative memories from our own childhoods. There are school assessment systems that base an overwhelming part of a student’s final grade on their performance on written exams, but- How does Futuro Verde assess students? This is a complex question, but the answer at Futuro Verde is a simple one. Futuro Verde is focused on learning, not on assessment.

But, what does that mean?

  • In Futuro Verde, we understand that learning is on-going and we offer students multiple and different opportunities to show their learning.
  • Learning is not static and, in its best form, it is transdisciplinary. Our goal is that our students are capable of learning and that they have the necessary abilities to apply their learning in multiple subject areas and contexts.
  • Assessment should be formative and summative. Formative assessment can be formal or informal and is used during the learning process. The goal of formative assessment is for the teacher to be able to better understand the needs of each student in order to modify the teaching and learning process. Summative assessment also has its place in our system at Futuro Verde and offers an opportunity to report student learning at given moments of the school year.
  • Assessment should include the student- not be given to the student. What this means is that it is important for children to internalize their learning and to be able to do two very important things: 1) identify their achievements and strengths, 2) understand their areas in need of improvement

So, a Futuro Verde student is assessed less than they would be at other schools? Not necessarily. At Futuro Verde we assess students- but we do so in an integrated, formative, differentiated and, many times, really fun way! And, we don’t only assess academic subjects- in the new version of the Futuro Verde report card you will receive specific information about your child’s progress in the area of social-emotional development!  

Meaningful assessment, open and direct communication and individual learning goals for each child- that is assessment at Futuro Verde!

Futuro Verde: Inspiration. Dedication. Innovation.